Speaker Profile

Kate Veronneau has forged an unconventional career in sports that spans from the real world to the metaverse and back again. A college basketball player, Ivy League Rookie of the Year and captain at Brown University, Kate transitioned to cycling after college. A fitness hobby soon turned competitive, and Kate found herself pursuing a career as a professional cyclist. Facing limited opportunities and investment in pro women’s cycling, Kate returned to the workforce.

After roles at GSI Commerce and Vanguard, she turned her passion for cycling into a career. Kate served as Marketing Director at Thomson Bike Tours and a world class velodrome before her paths crossed with Zwift. Swayed by Zwift’s vision to revolutionize indoor cycling by utilizing massive, multiplayer video gaming technology to build a sports metaverse, Kate joined the fledgling start-up in 2016. She was recruited to run Zwift Academy, the company’s groundbreaking idea to host a global, virtual tryout to win a real women’s pro cycling contract.

Big bets paid off, as Zwift Academy saw unprecedented success and media attention with its disruptive approach to identifying talent. The program sparked Zwift’s commitment to elevating women’s cycling. As Director of Women’s Strategy, Kate has been driving Zwift’s initiatives to create more opportunity and parity in the sport, leading to Zwift’s biggest target: The Tour de France. The prestigious race is the most watched sporting event in the world, yet did not have a women’s equivalent. Until now. In 2022, Zwift invested as a 4 year title sponsor to introduce the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The women’s race launched in Paris this past summer to record global viewership, paving the road to a bright future for the sport.